Help for educators who want to differentiate student learning this school year

Innovative educators know we can help students learn most effectively when we differentiate learning in ways that enable them to draw upon their personal strengths and talents. However, some teachers groan when anyone talks about using this method of teaching because it can seem overwhelming to assess and evaluate the skills of each student and then design a customized program for optimum learning conditions.  

While there are programs like School of One that do this work by hand, it can be costly and overwhelming. It is important to provide tools and resources that make it possible to help each student achieve and demonstrate deeper learning. Fortunately there are more and more adaptive technology programs like Renzulli Learning Systems or Dreambox that can be used to support educators in doing this work. You can click here to see how teachers are using such tools to differentiate math instruction.  

Here are ways you can get started with differentiating learning in your classroom.

Preparing Students for Success by Helping Them Discover and Develop Their Passions

A Learning Oasis
Each day students enter a learning oasis where their primary focus is discovering, developing, and pursuing passions, talents, and interests. The artwork covered halls connect rooms where experts, teachers, and more than a dozen partner organizations are working with young people engaged in their craft. Dancers are dancing with Rosie’s Kids, writers are writing with editors from the Gotham Schools news service to draft articles for publication, movie makers are working with award winning producers to create videos, students are knitting and crocheting clothes that they can wear or sell with the help of a local designer, musicians are working with performers from Music Under New York beating drums under the direction of their guidance counselor who is expert at supporting students express emotions through music, chefs are working with a culinary expert who has Skyped in to help students prepare healthy and delicious meals, a custodian with a passion for birds of prey is discovering with students how to save a nest of an endangered species, artists are working with experts from the Studio School to create sculptures, others prepare for chess and Scrabble competitions, athletes are playing basketball and volleyball, and there’s a room full of computers components and mechanical parts where students with an aptitude for such things are fixing computers and making robots.

Understanding the basics
There are foundation classes for students to develop and strengthen their abilities to read, write, and engage, in science, math, and social studies in relevant ways that tap into their talents, interests, abilities, learning style and their areas of passion. They know why they are studying these subjects. They see the connection. With a passion for the transportation system, Armond knows the history of his city, state, nation, and world through the lens of the development of modes of transportation. Context and relevance are ever present. Sabrina a young journalist knows the same history, but sees things through the eyes of the tablet, printing press, and digital technology.

Total Talent Portfolio
During lunch and in the halls Principal Slatin asks, “How’s your light bulb?” “Shining bright Dr. Slatin. Come look at the hawk’s eggs in the nest. I’m helping save an endangered species!” Students excitedly discuss their talents and passions often sparking interest of others. Students and teachers are intimately familiar with their talents as each student has a Total Talent Portfolio that provides a comprehensive picture about each student's strengths in the areas of abilities, interests, and styles. The Total Talent Portfolio focuses on student strengths and "high-end learning" behaviors. Although the teacher serves as a guide in the portfolio review process, the ultimate goal of the Total Talent Portfolio is to create autonomy in students by turning control for the management of the portfolio over to them. Students visit their portfolios often updating the selection of items to be included, maintaining and regularly updating the portfolio, and setting personal goals by making decisions about items that they would like to include in the portfolio. Teachers use the Total Talent Portfolio as a means to differentiate instruction and effectively group students. The students love having a Total Talent Portfolio because they know it’s their personal roadmap to making their dreams come true, whatever they are.

The students use their Total Talent Portfolios to help them pursue engaging activities in areas of deep personal interest. When discovering and exploring passions is the objective few teachers find their student have short attention spans. In fact quite the opposite. These students know what it’s like to be in a flow (the mental state of operation in which a person in an activity is fully immersed in a feeling of energized focus, full involvement, and success in the process of the activity.) and how to do so for real purposes. The focus of their education is NOT taking subjects like reading, writing, arithmetic, or science. Instead they are readers, writers, scientists, artists, poets, singers, technicians, musicians, mathematicians.

When we teach students rather than to the test
Instead of assessing students primarily with paper report cards that get thrown in a box indicating 1,2,3’s or A,B,C’s, the focus instead is on as principal Barbara Slatin explains, “exposing kids to a whole lot of different things and trying to get their lightbulb to go on.” When we’re accountable for helping students discover and develop passions the result is a win/win that results in engaged and passionate students, and energized teachers.

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model
While for some, this school might sound like fiction, it is not. In fact not only is this model taking place in affluent districts, it’s occurring in poverty-stricken schools like The Island School in New York City. This model of education is called the Schoolwide Enrichment Model and with the right leadership it can happen at any grade level in any district. Joe Renzulli who along with his wife Sally Reis are credited for developing this model explain it this way.

"The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) can be used as a detailed blueprint for total school improvement. Since the SEM is based upon the vision that schools are places for talent development, the SEM takes into account the varying abilities, backgrounds, experiences and learning styles of each student and capitalizes upon these strengths and interests so that all children are able to meet their greatest potential through an educational experience that is both challenging and individualized."

Do you think...
A model like this result in increased graduation rates?
A school like this may help foster the connection between the school and community?
Students may be focused when doing the reading, writing, and arithmetic necessary to succeed with their passions?
The boredom we see in the eyes of students and the burnt out teachers would decrease?
Students in these schools will feel prepared to succeed in the world?

YES!

Why does this matter
This matters because America has gotten off track. I’m a case in point. I did as I was told with college, not a passion, as my goal. I wanted to do well and succeed quickly. I rushed through school getting good test scores and great grades, always graduating at the top of my class. At 19 I stood outside of my college with a degree in hand and no where to go. I had no idea what my talents, passions, and interests were...and no one ever asked-or cared. If all we want for schools is to that they be places to churn out good test takers with scores that make it easy to judge teachers and praise politicians, then America is on track. But when we do that we end up with a nation of “me’s” who did all they were supposed to do and unless they were lucky enough to stumble upon it...have no idea what they did it for. In the end it felt like a waste of 16 years of classes that I mostly wasn’t interested in. Why not have an educational system with the goal of producing students who know how to find, follow, and develop their passions? Ask any student what they’d prefer and the answer is clear.

To learn more....

Listen to this ten minute video from Principal Barbara Slatin of The Island School
Slatin Tribute from Lou Lahana on Vimeo.

Check out this PowerPoint that explains the Schoolwide Enrichment Model

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model

View more presentations from Mary Alice Osborne.

Differentiating Instruction is NOT Hard if We Tap into Student’s Passions!

I hear the term differentiating instruction thrown around all the time, but when I go into schools, I often find there’s not necessarily a whole lot of differentiation going on. There seems to be confusion about what this method of teaching actually entails and as a result it can be considered a daunting and unrealistic teaching method. The reality is, however, when we shift the focus to the student passion, differentiation just happens.

Here are the innovative educator’s tips for differentiating instruction.

Determine your student’s talents, interests, passions, learning styles, and abilities
Start by helping students identify their talents, interests, passions, abilities, and learning styles. You can do this with a paid for program like the Renzulli Learning profiler or for free by creating your own survey with something like a Google form that feeds into a spreadsheet that children can be invited to update. By doing this, you’ve helped students begin to develop their personal learning network where they can connect with others with similar learning profiles.

Allow students to own the learning
As an educator your job is to facilitate learning and support children in being able to become independent learners. While it is your job to support students in reaching their learning goals, it is not necessary for students to all do this in the same way. Begin units of study explaining to students what the learning goals are and ask them, based on their individual preferences, how they might best demonstrate this learning. Encourage them to talk to others they know share their talents, passions, interests, and abilities. Let them know they can work independently, in pairs, or in groups. Once they’ve developed their plan let them present it to you for approval. Give students ownership of how they will demonstrate the learning with you as a guide, facilitator, and final approver of ways in which they can do so.

Allow students to demonstrate learning using the tools they choose
I’m a bitter ex-student. I’m bitter because I poured my blood, sweat, and tears into a number of papers and reports that went from my hands, to a teacher, to a box in my basement. Why? What were my teachers really preparing me for? What lesson was I learning? That you work your ass off for a letter grade that ends up in a box! It does not need to be this way. Many of today’s tech-savvy learners know how to harness the power of technology to socialize. They make videos, interact in social media, capture photos, make podcasts and audio casts, and publish all of this in online forums where they have hundreds if not thousands of others who are interested in what they do. Invite students to use the tools they love to demonstrate learning. One may contribute a guest post to a blog; another might make a public service announcement that can be used on the website of a cause they are interested in. Others may find a podcast they love on iTunes and contact the host to contribute to a session. One student may choose to compose and perform a song, and yet another might make a video on YouTube to share knowledge and learning with the world.

Allow students to follow their passions when demonstrating learning
I get so frustrated when my boyfriend shares with me the type of work his children are assigned in school. Not once are they ever encouraged or even allowed to investigate a passion in their classes. We need to shift from dictating to students what it is they must read or write, and instead help them find topics they are passionate about learning more. One student, Armand McFadden was encouraged to do this. He loves buses. Throughout school he wrote about buses, shared the history of buses, made videos about buses, engaged in online discussions and more. This authentic experience allowed Armand not only to demonstrate learning, but this high school student is already known as a transportation expert with a powerful learning network and connections that will likely lead to a successfully career.

Incorporating these ideas not only takes the onus of differentiating instruction off the teacher’s shoulders, but it also empowers students to take ownership of their own learning in areas of talents, interests and passion. When following these steps, you have in essence succeeded in giving students the power to differentiate their own instruction using the tools they love, focusing on a topic they are interested in and demonstrating learning in a medium they’ve selected. Providing opportunities like this for our students will not only result in more engaged and empowered learners, it will also result in students finding more relevance in school, and when we help students focus on exploring their passions, we best help them begin to discover what they want to be, not when they grown up, but today.

5 Innovative Ways to Differentiate Instruction as Witnessed During My Visit to the School of One

Innovative educators often tout the ways they differentiate instruction explaining how technology enables them to address the needs of diverse learners and learning styles, yet, when I visit classrooms, I usually see all students working on the same lessons using the same tools. For example, educators talk about how they use Smartboards to differentiate instruction for Tactile learners, podcasts for auditory learners, digital media for visual learners, etc., but when I visit schools the whole class is using a particular tool. While a teacher may incorporate a number of different technologies, they are not differentiating instruction based on the learner.

I was relieved last year when I began working with Renzulli Learning. After exploring the tool I was convinced I had landed upon a resource that was a true differentiation machine. Renzulli allows teachers to determine student’s learning styles, interests, abilities, and expression styles and then group them based on this information and find activities aligned to their profile. One of the true powers of this tool is its ability to instantly group students and assign lessons to them based on their profile. Sadly when I visited schools using Renzulli I NEVER saw evidence of teachers using the tool to differentiate instruction. Instead, Renzulli was used just as the other tools. All students were assigned a particular project that they searched for by using the tool as a kid-friendly Google and instruction was not differentiated.

So, what is the problem? We know technology can be used to differentiate instruction and hundreds of schools in my city alone had a tool uniquely designed to support this work. I think the problem is at least two-fold.
1) Educators don’t have a proper pedagogical foundation in what it means to differentiate instruction…this needs to be addressed.
2) Educators have few opportunities to see instructional models where differentiated instruction is implemented…until now.

During my recent learning walk at the School of One, I found differentiating instruction is not just a term, it is the way the school does business and there are many lessons that can be learned from visiting the school.

1. Using Renzulli Learning as a Differentiation Machine

At the School of One each child completes a Renzulli Learning profile. The profile is shared with the student’s teacher and family whose input they also elicit. Each student’s unique profile indicates how they like to learn (i.e. games, discussion, independent), their interests (i.e. athletics, technology, performing arts), and their learning styles (artistic, audio visual displays, technology). Students are then tagged by their profile. When providing lessons (known as playlists selections at the school) to their students, they are uniquely matched to the students learning profile. Students are grouped for lessons by profile which means that they may receive individual, small group, peer, or whole group instruction based on matching students with similar learning profiles. The Renzulli System has this functionality built in, and you see it in action at the School of One.

Schools with out the Renzulli Learning System can implement this type of functionality by using a digital survey tool such as SurveyMonkey or Google forms to students to determine students learning profiles and match students to each other and activities that reflect their learning profile.

2. Using Data to Differentiate Instruction

The School of One compiles the various data sets on each student (i.e. standardized tests, interim, and ongoing assessments) to design instruction directly aligned to the students need based on performance indicators. This data is used to create a unique learning needs assessment profile for each student outlining areas of strength and weakness.

3. Tagging Lessons to Allow for Differentiation

Lessons are compiled that are aligned to each performance indicators and then tagged to various learning profile selections so they can be matched to learners in need and learning profile. In another words lessons are tagged not only by the performance indicator they are aligned to, but also, by learning profile attributes such as expression style, interest, learning style. This is done by placing lessons in a shared space where teachers can access them. Schools can used a shared drive or a wiki to do this, but what would be even better is if organizations (i.e. Curriki) with large lesson banks did this and provided this service free for educators. Renzulli does this in part, but you must pay for the service.

4. Using Space to Support Differentiated Instruction

At the School of One they are thinking differently about the use of space and have converted the school library into a flexible learning center. Teachers can do the same within their classrooms, and by collaborating with other educators in the school. The learning center has areas for students to work independently, with peers, in small groups, and as a whole group. At any given time there are many learning scenarios occurring based on the students unique learning profile and needs. Classrooms can be designed differently to account for such flexible grouping and collaboration with others in the school such as the librarian, art teacher, music teacher, etc. can also be incorporated so that there are individual, peer, and small group areas that teachers could reserve.

I found this great tool courtesy of a Tweet from @altteacher. "Design your classroom using this cool classroom setup tool. Teachers may want to consider bringing students into the conversation and letting teams of them design the classroom for optimum learning. This could be turned into a contest and the team with the winning design gets to setup the class. Teachers might even want to get the community involved.

5. Differentiating Instruction by Connecting with a Variety of Learning Providers

Differentiating instruction means saying goodbye to a one-size-fits (or provides success for) all curriculum. In a differentiated model lessons are aligned specifically to data, standards, performance indicators and student learning profiles. This can take on a variety forms. At the School of One there are opportunities such as educational games, online coursework from providers like Apex and Compass Learning, teacher-created lessons, materials from various textbook providers, individual and peer tutoring from expert high school students and online tutors, and more. An innovative idea would also be to add student-created materials to this list. This can be a terrific way for students to convey mastery…once they learn something they create a game, video, lesson, etc. to teach others.

My learning walk at the School of One provided a refreshing opportunity to see a school put many promising practices in place to result in a uniquely differentiated experience for each child.

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End of the Year Reflection from the School of One Program Director

From: Rose Joel
Sent: Sat 8/8/2009 12:58 AM
Subject: School of One Pilot Update

Dear Friends and Colleagues,

As our School of One summer pilot winds down this week, I’d like to share with you a brief summary of what has been an exciting, challenging, and hugely successful effort.

A few headlines:

1) The program has received some terrific coverage in the media, with articles in the New York TimesForbes. ABC News, NBC News, and PBS all sent producers to take footage for future broadcasts while the local TV and newspapers ran stories. We’ve also seen some insightful blog posts —here, here, here, here, and here – as well as this one that I think best captures the teacher experience. and

2) Over the past month, more than 200 people visited School of One, including Mayor Bloomberg and Chancellor Klein (who made several visits throughout the summer). Our visitors included political leaders, state and district administrators, school principals, teachers, academics, business leaders, and philanthropists all committed to educational innovation.

3) We were thrilled by the enthusiastic response from students and their parents. Our average daily student attendance exceeded 90% (a high number for a voluntary summer program) and more than 50% of parents attended our parent event (normally the school has a 10% participation rate).

4) Principal Phyllis Tam and her pioneering team of math teachers, with whom we worked this summer at MS 131, told us they want their school to be part of our school year rollout. .

Of course the most meaningful results relate to student outcomes. In the coming weeks, our team will carefully analyze the huge volume of data produced during the pilot and will work with our independent evaluators to examine how the summer’s outcomes related to our goals and objectives. We will then return to R&D mode where we will prepare to open again this coming January in three NYC schools.

If you didn’t get a chance to visit school of one, please visit our website where you can read a program description, watch a video that describes School of One, and watch a video about our summer pilot. You can also follow us on Facebook by becoming a fan of School of One.

We are grateful to all of our sponsors and partners and look forward to expanding our network of supporters for the next phase of our growth. Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have questions about the project and how you can be involved.

Joel

Using The Renzulli Learning System to Support Differentiated Instruction

I've just completed a workshop strand on the Renzulli Learning System (RLS) which allows students to answer questions about their interests and learning styles and what they enjoying doing in school and at home. After they have answered these questions, the RLS creates a profile that describes the students. It explains their interests, beliefs about how they do in school, their learning style, which is how they learn best, and their product style, which is how they like to present the material they’ve learned. Then it selects the activities that are best matched to the student’s interests and styles of learning from thousands of enrichment activities. These include virtual field trips, real field trips, creativity training activities, independent study and project options, books, online activities and classes, and research skills. All of these activities are based on the student’s special interests." Visit my post The Confratute Virgin's Guide to Success to see a sample using an excerpt of my profile.

When completing these activities students have the opportunity to rate them (ala You Tube, Ebay, etc…great digital native tool) and complete a self assessment that the teacher can incorporate into their assessment of the student. The teacher also has an assessment they provide the student upon completion of the project. As an educator I really like the idea of projects being assessed by both student and teacher. The system allows you to designate a limitless number of adults as the student’s teachers which provides a terrific opportunity for multiple teachers to analyze student work AND (I love this) mentors and experts can be given the ability to assess the student’s work. The one thing I would recommend adding to the assessment is allowing peers to assess one another’s work which RLS staff said they would try to include in the future.

As I’ve visited schools using RLS the missing link is incorporating RLS into the Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM). After speaking with Renzulli staff I’ve learned that currently the first goal is to get educators and students comfortable with the system and then get them immersed in the Schoolwide Enrichment Model. Some facilitators I’ve spoken to suggest they would take a different approach and provide educators with a foundation in SEM with classes and books, and then introduce them to the system so they are fully ready to make connections. Either way, it is crucial that educators using the system become familiar with the Schoolwide Enrichment Model to enable them to use the RLS for the purposes for which it was designed.

Here are some ideas from a Confratute Virgin about how educators can incorporate the RLS into the Schoolwide Enrichment Model.

Using RLS for differentiating instruction with flexible grouping
A powerful idea I learned about differentiated instruction is that if you keep mixing it up, no one gets a label. Through the RLS profile, educators are empowered to elegantly and easily group students by their interests, beliefs about how they do in school, their learning style, and their product style. The management tool for the teachers will allow them to group their students by these styles and give each group a name and push the assignment out to just those students. As one participant in my class stated, this technology enables the teacher to use the technology to determine groups which literally will save teachers HOURS of TIME and PREPARATION. This really makes this type of differentiation practical and feasible in ways previously not possible. The system does not assess for ability levels, but if a teacher knows her student’s ability levels in each content area or in a particular unit s/he can group those students in the system and push out assignments to students based on ability level too. It is never transparent to the student how they are grouped, unless the teacher decides to share this.

Using RLS to Enhance Enrichment Clusters
I just love this because I can imagine how difficult this would be without the RLS. I believe the RLS in fact was in part designed as a tool to facilitate enrichment clusters. Joseph Renzulli explains How to Develop an Authentic Enrichment Cluster like this:

Our experience with schools has shown that we can guarantee authentic learning experiences for students if the overall weekly schedule devotes some time focused exclusively on enrichment clusters where, non-graded groups of students come together for approximately one-half day per week because they share common interests that bind them together and a willingness to work cooperatively within a relatively unstructured learning environment. Note: Renzulli and his colleagues have written articles and books on how to arrange scheduling to set aside time for enrichment clusters.

How It Works
Cluster activity is directed toward the production of a product or service. Enrichment clusters are not mini-courses! There are no unit or lesson plans. However, a series of start-up activities help students find and focus a problem that the majority of the group wants to pursue.

The RLS makes what has often daunted many educators (especially those new to the concept) so much more manageable. It in essence allows teachers to teach the way they know they should but thought they didn’t have time for. The RLS takes care of all of that by providing grouping options through the student profile reports and then…the system provides students with literally hundreds of possible activities to choose from specifically targeted to their interest. Amazing!

Using RLS to Enhance the Cluster Teacher Position
Before attending the Confratute I had never heard of enrichment clusters. I had heard of cluster teachers, but this was never associated with enrichment. Many NYC educators will agree that in some schools cluster teachers are those that give core content teachers a prep and often little learning occurs in these classes. The RLS can turn these positions into such an exciting and meaningful time by matching students with similar profiles in selected areas with teachers who also shared this interest. This would work great for schools where teachers are given a common prep by cluster teachers and during that period students could be grouped using the RLS with teachers who are teaching based on their profiles. The grouping could and should change at logical times i.e. per unit or quarter.

Using RLS in Compacting
Compacting involves eliminating the repetition of work that has already been mastered and streamlining lessons that "can be mastered at a pace commensurate with the student's motivation and ability." The issue so many teachers had previously when compacting is that it was difficult to determine what compacted students would do to extend their learning. The RLS is the answer as it provides hundreds of activities matched to individual student portfolios. If teachers have access to laptops for the compacted students, the teachers can use the RLS to help students find the right activity to work on while others are working in a particular unit.

These are some of the connections I see in using the RLS in the SEM from the eyes of a Confratute Virgin. I will share more as I become more seasoned...stay tuned.

The Confratute Virgin's Guide to Success

I’ve just completed my first week at Confratute, a summer institute on enrichment learning and teaching featuring presentations by the nation's best-known leaders in gifted education, talent development, thinking skills, and creativity. The Confratute was conceived as a combination of the best aspects of a Conference, and an institute with a good deal of fraternity blended within. It has remained the leading professional development program on enrichment learning and teaching in the world.

The Renzulli Learning Differentiation Engine^TM puts students in touch with engaging, individualized resources specially chosen for their interest areas and learning styles. The engine begins with students completing the Renzulli Profiler where they answer questions about their interests, abilities, expression and learning style. When completed, they have a great profile that targets who they are or might be interested in becoming. Here is an excerpt of mine:

Lisa's second area of interest appears to be inwriting. She seems to enjoy writing, and should have opportunities to develop skills in writing in a variety of genres such as fiction and non-fiction, poetry, and journalism. Lisa's third area of interest appears to be in social action, as she seems to show a concern for legal, moral or philosophical issues such as human rights, poverty, animal rights, and environmental issues. She may want to change a law or take action to try to make the world a better place.

Lisa also has specific preferred instructional styles. Learning or instructional styles are the ways students like to learn and the strategies parents and teachers use to help them learn. Lisa has very clearly defined learning preferences. Her preferred instructional style is through technology. Her second choice of learning style is discussions that happen when two or more students talk with their teacher or in small groups about issues and topics by discussing facts and opinions and discussing them. Lisa also enjoys learning games that enable her to learn content by playing games or participating in activities with cards, board games, or even electronic games.

Experienced users of this system say many students are excited about seeing their profile because they have never been actually been asked what they are most interested in and most would like to learn about. Based on their profile they and their teacher can find activities and assignments that match their interests and learning styles.

As I wrap up my first day at the conference here are some basics that will be of interest to those new to the Renzulli Learning approach and/or Confratute which I have broken into a few categories.

Renzulli Philosophy
All students can benefit from high-end learning opportunities and learning is maximized when we consider each student's academic strength areas, interests, learning styles, and preferred modes of expression. We strive to accommodate these differences in a variety of settings.

Renzulli Mission
Apply the pedagogy of gifted education to enrichment opportunities for all students.

Renzulli Goal
No Child Left Bored!

Renzulli Theme
A rising tide lifts all ships.

Renzulli Concepts (As described in linked Renzulli Confratute materials)

Compacting involves eliminating the repetition of work that has already been mastered and streamlining lessons that "can be mastered at a pace commensurate with the student's motivation and ability." The process also assists teachers with accountability by documenting student proficiency on instructional objectives and listing specifically what enrichment activities are offered in place of repetitive class work. The process of compacting includes three phases - defining goals and outcomes, identifying candidates for compacting, and providing acceleration and enrichment options. Visit this overview from Renzulli Learning for more information.

The Enrichment Triad Model was designed to encourage creative productivity on the part of young people by exposing them to various topics, areas of interest, and fields of study, and to further train them to apply advanced content, process-training skills, and methodology training to self-selected areas of interest. Type 1-General Exploratory Activities. Type 2-Group Training Activities. Type 3-Individual and Small Group Investigations of Real Problems.

The Enrichment Clusters, one component of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model, are non-graded groups of students who share common interests, and who come together during specially designated time blocks during school to work with an adult who shares their interests and who has some degree of advanced knowledge and expertise in the area. The enrichment clusters usually meet for a block of time weekly during a semester. All students complete an interest inventory developed to assess their interests, and an enrichment team of parents and teachers tally all of the major families of interests. Adults from the faculty, staff, parents, and community are recruited to facilitate enrichment clusters based on these interests, such as creative writing, drawing, sculpting, archeology and other areas.

Five Dimensions of Differentiation (the five points at which differentiation must occur): 1) Content 2) Process 3) Product 4) Classroom 5) Teacher

The Schoolwide Enrichment Model (SEM) is widely implemented as an enrichment program used with academically gifted and talented students and a magnet theme/enrichment approach for all schools interested in high-end learning and developing the strengths and talents of all students. The major goal of the SEM is the application of gifted education pedagogy to total school improvement. The SEM provides enriched learning experiences and higher learning standards for all children through three goals; developing talents in all children, providing a broad range of advanced-level enrichment experiences for all students, and providing advanced follow-up opportunities for young people based on their strengths and interests.

The Total Talent Portfolio - The Schoolwide Enrichment Model targets specific learning characteristics that can serve as a basis for talent development. Our approach to targeting learning characteristics uses both traditional and performance-based assessment to compile information about three dimensions of the learner—abilities, interests, and learning styles. This information, which focuses on strengths rather than deficits, is compiled in a management form called the 'Total Talent Portfolio' which is used to make decisions about talent development opportunities in regular classes, enrichment clusters, and in the continuum of special services.

Twice-exceptional children (that is, intellectually gifted children with special needs such as AD/HD, learning disabilities, Asperger Syndrome, etc.) have a hard time of it in our education system - because their giftedness can mask their special needs and their special needs hide their giftedness, they are often labeled as "lazy", "unmotivated", "not trying".

Renzulli Concepts
Here is a PowerPoint that provides an overview of several Renzulli concepts.

Confratute Basics
Confratute Purpose
1) To learn. 2) To create and produce 3) To interact 4) To enjoy and relax
Strands…
There are over 80 week-long strands which focus on all aspects of differentiated instruction and enrichment learning and teaching. This is important to know before you arrive because once you pick a strand you are expected to stay in that strand for the entire week. Each day builds upon the next and strand hopping is discouraged and considered inappropriate. Groups attending the conference should decide before attending which strands they want to attend as a group for a collective experience and individually to bring some depth of knowledge across the organization. There are early morning, mid morning and afternoon strands from which to choose.

Getting here
At about 2.5 hours from NYC, I think driving is your best option is you are coming from that area. The campus is large. Look for Storrs Road which Route 195 turns into.

Parking here
I believe you park in Lot S near a building called Rome. You get there by taking Route 195 which becomes Storrs Road to Bolton Road.

Checking In
Check in at Rome. This is their "Command Central" area where the Renzulli staff is based during the conference. It is also where the cafeteria is.

Internet
The internet is accessible and dropping off your internet form in Command Central is probably the first stop you want to make as they need some time to set you up. If you stop there first you should be ready to go by the time you’ve registered and received your housing accommodations.

Things I recommend bringing
A reading light, extra pillow (only 1 little one), shawl (some classes are freezing), shampoo (there is none in your room), shoes comfortable for walking across a campus with grass, hills, and stairs.

Things you don’t need
Tissues, soap, sheets, towels, extension cords for extra outlets (my room has 6), fan (rooms have AC and windows that open)

Fitness
You will be doing a bit of walking between classes, meals, events, and activities. If that's not enough there are running/waking trails and a lake you can jog around. They have 6:30 a.m. walks and there is a fitness center that I believe you can join for $30 for the week. They also have dance classes each day led by facilitators. During the evening patio gathering there is dancing. Several facilitators love line dancing and lead dances. In week two they will be featuring swing dancing. I'd also recommend getting extra exercise by taking the stairs. It will serve the dual purpose of providing exercise and getting you where you want to go faster...the elevators are very slow.

Making New Connections
Let's face it, you don't need to spend your whole time with the folks you know. You see them all year. While this will be a great opportunity for team building and connecting with colleagues, it is also an opportunity to connect with great new people from around the world. After spending my first week here my top recommendations for connecting with new people are:
1) The 6:30 jog/walk
2) Confratute Chorus
3) Nathan Hale Bar
4) Dance in the tent after the patio party by Nathan Hale Bar
5) Host a little gathering in your room pre-dinner or post patio party
6) Mingle at meals

Food
The food is quite good with choices for the health conscious as well as those who like to indulge. I’m told they even feature ice cream straight from the creamery down the road. You can see the very cows that helped produce your yummy treat. There is breakfast, lunch, and dinner served with snacks in between so you’ll never be hungry or thirsty. If you are like me and prefer eating outside, or at times while working in your room I recommend bringing tupperware as they do not have take out containers. One thing you'll want to keep in mind is the plate line. It is long and I don't really have the time or patience to wait in these lines. I don't know what the proper answer to this issue is, but mine was to not use a tray and just clean off the plate and bring it back to my room and then back to the cafeteria on my way to other meals.

Coffee
The coffee is good, but goes quickly as does the milk. Get that right away. I also strongly recommend using your plastic Confratute bottle for ice coffee. It is fabulous. You may want to bring a sock to put on the bottle though because it will sweat.

Libations
There are nightly gatherings with box wine and equally fraternity-style beer included in your conference fee. Repeat Confratuters usually find themselves at the Nathan Hale Inn Bar which is on campus. I do not think there is a liquor store in walking distance of the campus so you may want to consider bringing your own.

Smoking
Smoking of any substance is not allowed in the rooms and apparently there are people on patrol ensuring this is adhered to.

About the Area
Apparently Storrs, CT is the safest place in America as far as natural disasters, terrorist attacks, etc. This doesn’t surprise me because there is almost nothing else in the town aside from the campus besides a lot of cows. There is a decent Mexican Restaurant called Margaritas and an Italian restaurant called Angelinos.

Confratute for Credit
If you would like credit you can fill out an application for credit and pay fees by noon on Thursday, July 17. There is a $1,407 tuition fee for three credits and a $65 enrollment fee which must be paid on site a the time the application is submitted. Applicants select one strand as your “major” and sign the credit roster that will be circulated by your strand coordinator. Projects must be completed within one year of application.

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